The fall of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, whose resignation from the College of Cardinals was accepted by Pope Francis last Saturday, makes distressing reading. Although there has been no response to the allegations, we have heard many stories of ruined lives. The Archdiocese of New York describes one allegation of McCarrick abusing a teenager as “credible”. Other dioceses have reached settlements with adult claimants. But the story shows no sign of abating, and several fresh allegations of more serious misbehaviour have emerged.